720 Research and planning

Before any software is built, we need a well-researched and structured plan that accounts for user needs, design constraints, development tools, and secure software architecture.

Outline

This section brings together the planning tools and design processes that guide software development. You will consolidate earlier research on user requirements and transform this into a practical and secure design plan. The outputs of this section form your Software Design Specification (SDS), which will be completed before full development begins.

Targets

In this topic, students learn to:

• Apply security principles to the design of a software solution

• Select and justify the use of appropriate development tools and environments

• Develop and evaluate user-centred models and prototypes

• Compile and refine project planning documents and artefacts into a Software Design Specification

Glossary

Term	Definition
Software Design Specification (SDS)	A document that combines user requirements, system modelling, tool justification, and security planning into a single reference for developers
Secure by design	A principle in which software is planned from the outset with built-in protection against known vulnerabilities
Toolchain	A collection of software development tools used together, such as IDEs, version control, and prototyping platforms
User flow	A representation of the steps a user takes to complete a task in a system
Storyboard	A visual representation of user interactions with the system over time

Overview

In this section, you will complete your final research and planning work before development begins. You will learn how to build software that is safe, structured, and designed for real users. You will use modelling tools such as data flow diagrams, structure charts, storyboards, and prototypes to express how the system should behave.

You will also evaluate and select the best tools to support your development process, and apply secure software architecture principles such as input validation, sanitisation, and privacy by design. By the end of this section, you will have created a comprehensive Software Design Specification (SDS) to guide your coding.